(Another) Crazy Hanson Weekend
Katie Typically I write one post per concert, but I also have a “rule” to try to write about one show before the next one happens. And I failed miserably at that this weekend. In my defense, I was all over the east coast “touring” with Hanson. Our weekend kicked off on Friday when I stayed up waiting for Maribeth to get in from PA. She took the train up because our last show was back in PA so we didn’t want to both have to drive down there following each other. But her train hit something and she had to switch and ended up being delayed an hour.
Saturday morning we headed up to Boston. We knew it would be crazy because there was a Red Sox game right across the street at basically the same time, but what we didn’t realize is that it was ALSO move in weekend for Boston University! Crazy! We took the T in so I didn’t have to drive in Boston and that worked out well. We stopped to eat at Bertucci’s and were asked if we were moving in – I guess we looked like we were still in college? I’ll take it! When it was time for doors we were escorted to the 3rd floor for ADA seating and had basically the same seats we had for the last time Hanson played there which was awesome! (Not awesome was before the encore the woman working there said “It’s the end of the night I need to take the chairs back” and so I had to stand for the encore. Why are you taking chairs away from handicapped people who asked for them for what I’m assuming was good reason? So strange.)
Highlights from the Boston show… Each of the guys did a solo (LOVE when they do this because you often hear songs you would not otherwise hear and it’s just them out there on stage alone) and after Zac left and Taylor took the stage, Taylor talked about how great Zac was and how he could play a bunch of instruments and was the youngest Grammy nom for song writing and he performed at the Grammys when he was 11 and it was really sweet. Not sure what provoked it, but I’ll take it. There were a few songs we were hoping to hear but didn’t, and a few we were hoping to not hear, but did. Our only hope was also that they’d mix the setlist up for the next 2 nights and we’d hear what we wanted the next couple of nights.
Sunday morning we headed to NJ to pick up our friend Marisa and were off to Long Island. We had intended on going to do The Walk with Hanson (I was going to work the table and they would walk) but unfortunately we didn’t time things right and were pulling up in to a parking spot just as the guys and the walk were walking by. We went to get dinner and then got ready to get in line for the show. We had Loge seats but when we got in line they told us we could find the elevator to the right and the staff member operating it said we could go to the ADA section which was “really close to the stage”, when we said we had seats he still encouraged us to go to the ADA section and we were basically 2nd row Isaac’s side. What an amazing ADA section!
Highlights of this show… are that they played almost every song that we were wanting after the Boston show. Do they have us bugged? Also, before Isaac’s solo he was going on and on about the walks and how people talked to him about not having a solo song and he really was talking for quite a while. Zac ended up coming on stage and pointed to his wrist and told him to hurry it up. Ha. Then at one point, Taylor turned to Zac and mouthed something that I couldn’t make out and then it seemed like they all started playing Tragic Symphony (another we wanted to hear) and then everything stopped and Zac said Taylor said something to him but he didn’t really know what. I guess they were going to skip Tragic Symphony and do Thinking Bout Somethin instead but they all weren’t clued in to that! It was neat to see because I feel like that is something that doesn’t usually happen – but it made them seem more real.
We checked out the bus situation afterwards but it didn’t seem promising so we headed home to get some sleep before the trek to PA on Monday.
Monday we made it to the Sands Bethlehem in time for the walk. Marisa and Maribeth were going take it while I hung out and did who knows what, but last second we grabbed the wheelchair and had Maribeth push me. Everyone walked SO fast there would have been no way I could have done it without help! We walked around the old steel mills which was really cool and I am pretty sure I took more photos of the surroundings than of Hanson. For each person who did the walk $1 would be donated to the Take the Walk campaign. I chose to have my $1 go towards clean water. Also, for each ticket sold on the tour, $1 would go to the campaign as well.
Doors were supposed to be at 5, but they started letting people in at 4. We ended up waiting in the lobby for a while and then went to the ADA seating area. I debated going up closer (the place was not very packed at all) but ultimately stayed in the back the whole time. At this show, Zac’s solo was Call Out My Name which we had been discussing just that morning and hoped it would be a solo. (Really, am I bugged?) Isaac did For Your Love for the 3rd time in 3 nights – but honestly I think I’d rather hear that than a lot of his other songs he’s done as solo in the past. Taylor did Kiss Me When You Come Home which was a pleasant surprise. They also ended up doing Tragic Symphony for real at this show (only the 2nd time I’ve heard it live!)
After the show we snagged a spot by the bus, Zac came out first but apparently my camera got messed up during the walk and said “recording” instead of taking a photo even though it wasn’t on video mode. He said he’d come back once I fixed it. He got like 5 ppl down and we called out to him but he kept going. We had hoped he’d loop back after he did the whole line to get us, but must’ve forgotten and we weren’t able to catch his attention. Isaac also came out and by that point everything was fixed so we did get pictures with him. He told us Taylor would not be coming out that he was “very tired” Fortunately they had the next day off so hopefully they can rest up and be good to go for the next run of shows!
I won’t be seeing them until Vegas in a couple of weeks – but I am hoping they add some covers in by then. Isaac said we can expect the show to be very different by November when we do another weekend of shows.
